The following are the community-minded leaders who help to direct our organization on a regular basis. North Newstead Association is considered a Community Based Development Organization (CBDO) and as such, over half of our Board lives in the area that we serve.
Brian Davies, board president
Brian joined North Newstead Association’s Board when NNA was founded to be a merchant’s association many years ago. Inspired and impressed by the welcoming people who clearly love the community and their willingness to roll up their sleeves to do the work, Brian continues to support NNA today. Over the last 25 years, Brian is most proud of NNA’s accomplishments and our affordable housing portfolio. Brian is a lifelong St. Louisan, currently serving as the Market President at Great Southern Bank. Over the next five years, Brian hopes to further develop NNA’s affordable housing portfolio and would like NNA to be more of a community center again. His favorite St. Louis tradition is Opening Day of the Cardinal’s season.
HOLSTON BLACK, III
VICE PRESIDENT
Holston is a resident leader in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood and an engineering manager at Boeing. He joined NNA’s Board in January of 2023 and serves on NNA’s Housing Committee. Holston is passionate about neighborhoods that help youth and seniors to thrive. Fortunate to have lived in old cities in the US and Italy, Holston likes to see St. Louis’s stories rejuvenated with new opportunities and positive experiences for all types of people.
JUSTIN FEZZI, treasurer
Justin comes to North Newstead Association from Husch Blackwell, working as an attorney in the Community Development Law Department. Justin joined NNA’s Board in January of 2023 and serves on NNA’s Housing Committee assisting staff navigate challenges and opportunities of our rental portfolio. Justin’s favorite St. Louis tradition is during Halloween when neighbors come together to celebrate safely with their children. He also enjoys Cardinals and Blues games.
brenda nelson, secretary
Brenda has been involved with North Newstead Association since 2013. She is a retired parent educator with the Normandy School District and a mother of two daughters and grandmother to four beautiful grandchildren. She serves on the Board for the Yeatman-Liddell Preparatory Middle School and is an alumnus of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s Citizens Academy. A 40 year resident of the O’Fallon neighborhood, Brenda stays active in her community spending a lot of time at the O’Fallon Park Recreation Center, spending time with family, and volunteering whenever she can. Brenda is excited for the coming years!
Amy McDermott
Amy joined the North Newstead Association’s Board in 2022 as she believes in NNA’s mission and our role in stabilizing neighborhoods in North St. Louis City. She currently serves as the Assistant Director of Operations at Sugar Creek Capital after 23 years as the Vice President of Operations at the St. Louis Equity Fund. Amy enjoys watching her daughters play sports and her favorite St. Louis tradition is attending the Dogtown St. Patrick’s Day parade with her husband and kids.
Shirley Everett
Shirley Everett is a longtime resident leader in the O’Fallon neighborhood and has served on North Newstead Association’s Board since 2012. Born in 1936 in the Ville neighborhood and graduated from Sumner High in 1954, Shirley has lived on Red Bud in the O’Fallon neighborhood since 1964. She serves on the Board of Yeatman-Liddell Preparatory Middle School and was a past president of the O’Fallon Community Developing Organization. Her favorite aspects of her neighborhood are the great parks and the children here. A retired nurse practitioner who helped start the Diabetic Clinic at the City Hospital; Shirley continues to advocate for the needs of the North St. Louis community. She is most proud of St. Louis’s beautiful brick homes and hopes to work with NNA for a prosperous North St. Louis City. Shirley’s favorite St. Louis tradition was riding the streetcar to Forest Park as a child.
Rosie Willis
Rosie is a retired workforce development specialist, a resident leader in the JeffVander Lou neighborhood, and the founder and garden manager of the Fresh Starts Community Garden where in 2009, Ms. Willis led the charge to transform a vacant weed- and trash-covered city lot into a source of beauty and fresh, organic produce for the JeffVanderLou neighborhood. She rallied fellow residents to help build the garden on a shoestring budget as they struggled to find sources for funding, gardening tools, seeds, lumber for raised beds, and water to irrigate plants.
ABDUL Kaba Abdullah
Abdul joined North Newstead Association’s Board in 2015 and currently serves as the Board Treasurer. Abdul’s resume includes over 20 years of experience in municipal and governmental affairs having served as the City Manager for the City of Berkeley prior to his current role as Executive Director of Park Central Development. Abdul is a native of St. Louis, Missouri, and lives in the City with his wife and three children. He is a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University where he was honored with the Distinguished Young Alumni Award and holds dual Master’s Degrees in Total Quality Management and Management from Webster University.
ROBIN PEnny-Evans
Bio to come.
North Newstead Association 